Tour de France Femmes: Justine Ghekiere wins Stage 7 as Demi Vollering pinches time in race for yellow
Updated 17/08/2024 at 14:22 GMT
Demi Vollering must overturn a 1'15" deficit on the eighth and final stage on Sunday to defend her Tour de France Femmes crown as Kasia Niewiadoma looks to hold on for the biggest title of her career. Vollering claimed four seconds back in time bonuses in the mountains on Saturday, with the GC big-hitters keeping something in the tank ahead of the monster finale on Alpe d'Huez.
Ghekiere claims 'biggest win of her life' in polka dots on Stage 7
Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed victory in the polka dot jersey on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes as Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) gained a few seconds back on leader Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM).
Ghekiere rode off the front with 13km remaining, apparently in pursuit of Queen of the Mountains points, only for the Belgian to continue riding all the way to the finish unopposed.
Back down the road, and somewhat bizarrely, yellow jersey Niewiadoma towed chief rival Vollering up the final climb, before watching as the defending champion leapfrogged her to take four bonus seconds on the line.
"There’s a lot of talk about Demi [Vollering] and I," Niewiadoma admitted afterwards.
"But the whole peloton consists of so many riders so I had to keep an eye on everyone, and I felt she was just following me for the most part."
The fate of the yellow jersey will be decided on a brutal Sunday. The final stage features two unclassified climbs, including a summit finish on the iconic Alpe d'Huez.
Vollering sits eighth in the general classification, 1'15" back on Niewiadoma, but still the overwhelming threat to the Pole given the profile of the last day.
'I felt she was just following me' - Niewiadoma on Vollering rivalry
Stage 7 was always going to be a crunch moment - a day where big time gains could be won and lost. All eyes were on Vollering, who still needed to make up that time lost in Stage 5’s late crash, on Niewiadoma who had hold of yellow going into the day, and on Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) who was an unknown quantity heading into the mountains.
With Marianna Vos (Visma-Lease A Bike) in green and hunting more sprint points, it was no surprise to see the Dutchwoman disappear up the road early on with the initial breakaway, alongside Ghekiere whose main aim was QOM points.
Those two were joined by four others including Julie van de Velde - Ghekiere’s team mate - with the breakaway having a lead of over two minutes over the Cote de Bois d’Arlod, just over the halfway point in the 166.4km stage from Champagnole to Le Grand-Bornand.
With Vos hoovering up the sprint points and Ghekiere the Queen of the Mountains points, those two solidified their leads in their respective categories. The break itself had a lead of well over five minutes through the midway mark, but they knew it would be hard to stay out front up the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.
Marianne Vos of The Netherlands and Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Green points jersey competes in the breakaway during the 3rd Tour de France Femmes 2024
Image credit: Getty Images
That was the status quo for quite some time, the lead hovering around the five-minute mark through the lumpy, uncategorised climbs between the Cote de Cercier and the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.
Once the climbing resumed in earnest, Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) did a big turn on the front of the peloton to start to reel that break in. Those front six hit the bottom of the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt with a lead of 3’21’’ - and soon became a group of five, Sarah Roy (Confidis Women Team) immediately dropping off the back.
Five then became four, Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) the next to go as Van de Velde continued to push the pace as the gradient kicked in on behalf of her polka dot clad team-mate.
'I think I'm dreaming' - Ghekiere after 'crazy' solo win on Stage 7
That blew the breakaway apart completely, with Ghekiere going off the front to chase more mountain points - and then ultimately having the legs to hold on for a brilliant victory.
"I really have no words. I think I'm dreaming, it's crazy," Ghekiere said afterwards.
"I really want to thank my team today, the whole team at the beginning was in the front to protect me and then Julie [van de Velde], this victory is in part for Julie.
"When I took the last points, I thought I'll just go my own pace and see I could stay away. I can't believe this, really can't believe this."
While the Belgian was building a lead, behind Vollering finally started to show her cards on the lower reaches of the final climb of the day. Niewiadoma was quick to shut her down, the kilometres ticking off and Ghekiere still riding her way to victory.
More attacks came in, and still Niewiadoma did everything she could to shut them down. Neither had a team-mate with 3km to go, Niamh Fisher-Black the last SD Worx rider to drop off and leave her team leader to it.
In the end, it was the yellow jersey that went, towing Vollering along in what was a case of questionable tactics, and those two rode into the finish nearly together, Vollering with a last gasp sprint to pick up four bonus seconds with third place on the stage.
"I think four seconds is still nothing, tomorrow on Alpe d’Huez the real battle will start I think," the yellow jersey holder concluded at the end of the Tour's longest stage.
So it is Niewiadoma who holds yellow going into the final day of the race - and Vollering with it all to do to defend her crown up the legendary slopes of Alpe d’Huez.
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